FBI Seeks Suspect in Connection with Series of White-Collar Crimes

Paul David Cardwell is wanted in Wyoming for committing a series of white-collar crimes. On or about February 10, 2011, Cardwell accepted an offer of employment to serve as CEO of Powell Valley HealthCare (PVHC) in Powell, Wyoming. Cardwell started work at PVHC around March 7, 2011. As CEO, he reported to PVHC’s board of directors. He resigned on September 23, 2011. During Cardwell’s six-and-a-half months of employment, Cardwell, together with a co-conspirator, allegedly executed a scheme to defraud PVHC. Through this scheme, Cardwell and his co-conspirator improperly misappropriated PVHC funds, which totaled almost $850,000.
The scheme involved the following: Cardwell allegedly authorized PVHC to make payments to a straw vendor, who kicked back approximately 75 percent of the payments to Cardwell. The payments to the fake company, a purported physician-recruiting firm based in Indiana, were supposedly for physician recruiting services. The payments were simply the means to funnel the paid amounts to the co-conspirator, who kicked approximately 75 percent of the paid funds back to Cardwell and kept 25 percent for himself. None of the misappropriated funds (nearly $850,000) were legitimately earned.
Through investigation, it was discovered that Cardwell and his co-conspirator had allegedly pulled the same scheme while Cardwell was CEO at a hospital in White County, Indiana, from 2001 to 2009. It is believed that at least $800,000 was stolen allegedly, from the hospital, by Cardwell and his co-conspirator. On March 13, 2012, a Wyoming grand jury returned an indictment charging Cardwell and his co-conspirator with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and mail fraud. A summons was issued to both men to appear in federal court in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on March 27, 2012.
On this same day, Cardwell and his co-conspirator turned themselves in to law enforcement in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in response to the arrest warrants issued in this matter. On this day, their initial appearance and arraignments were held. Both were released on $50,000 bond with a trial date of June 4, 2012, which was later postponed to September 18, 2012. Among the stipulations made by U.S. Probation and Parole regarding their pre-trial release, both Cardwell and his co-conspirator had to surrender their U.S. Passports and make no attempts to obtain a new passport.
On or about August 29, 2012, Cardwell attempted to obtain a new U.S. passport in his birth name, Paul David Sappington. When Home Land Security was advised, Cardwell’s application was denied. On this same day, an arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court, for the District of Wyoming, for violation of Cardwell’s pre-trial release.
If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
Details:

• Name: Paul David Cardwell
• Alias: Paul David Sappington
• Date of Birth Used: July 11, 1966
• Place of Birth: Indiana
• Height: Approximately 5’8” tall
• Weight: Approximately 220 pounds
• NCIC: W025749843
• Build: Hefty
• Hair: Brown
• Eyes: Blue
• Sex: Male
• Race: White
• Nationality: American
• Remarks: Cardwell has ties to Indiana and very close ties to Thailand.